Pharas the Herulian

Pharas the Herulian (495-) was a Herulian German mercenary general in Byzantine service during the reign of Emperor Justinian I.

Biography
Pharas was born in 495 to the Germanic Heruli tribe, and, known for his truth and sobriety, he became a valued Byzantine officer. In 530, he led 300 Herulian troops against the Persians at the Battle of Dara, launching a flanking attack against the Persian rearguard. In 534, he captured the Vandal king Gelimer during Belisarius' campaign in North Africa, having convinced the fellow "illiterate barbarian" to be wealthy in Constantinople rather than be a slave to the Mauri in Africa.